Kavango Resources plc has restructured its board to have a more commercial and strategic focus.
Chief executive officer Ben Turney will moved to Zimbabwe to lead the company’s business there.
Donald McAlister and Alexandra (Alex) Rose Gorman join the board, Peter Wynter Bee takes on a new role of deputy chairman, while Brett Grist and Jeremy Brett step down from the board with immediate effect.
Mr Grist continues as chief operating officer and company secretary, and Mr Brett remains senior geophysical consultant.
“I would like to thank both Brett and Jeremy for their contributions during their time spent on Kavango’s board,” said chairman David Smith.
“They have been instrumental in building the company’s strong presence in Botswana and Zimbabwe.
“Brett has done much to bolster our operational infrastructure and will carry on in his executive role.
“Jeremy has played a key role in modernising and sharpening Kavango’s exploration capabilities and has brought in key senior specialists who have unlocked significant early-stage potential on the KSZ and Ditau projects.
“Jeremy will continue to consult for Kavango on the same terms.”
Mr McAlister has years’ experience of operating in Zimbabwe and raising funds for many projects.
He was a founding director, and remains on the board, of Tertiary Minerals plc.
Mr McAlister was previously finance director of Mwana Africa plc, Ridge Mining plc and Reunion Mining plc and on the board of Bindura Nickel Corporation and Freda Rebecca Gold mine, both in Zimbabwe.
He also worked at Enterprise Oil plc, Texas Eastern N Sea Inc. and Cluff Oil Holdings plc.
Mr McAlister has more than 20 years’ financial experience of the resource industry, including metal hedging, tax planning and economic modelling, as well as economic evaluation of gold and base metal mines and financing for feasibility studies and mine developments.
He was also involved in the listing of Reunion Mining plc on the Luxembourg and London Stock Exchanges and the listing of Ridge Mining on AIM.
Mr McAlister will become chairman of the Kavango’s audit committee.
He holds 725,664 shares in the company.
Ms Gorman has technical geological, financial market, banking and analytical experience.
She is currently a mining analyst at Peel Hunt, covering small and mid-cap London listed mining companies.
Prior to this, Ms Gorman worked in BMO’s commodities team, and in various analytical and consulting roles at Wood Mackenzie.
She trained as a geologist and has direct experience of the Kalahari copper belt in Botswana, having started her career 10 years ago working for Dave Catterall on the Zone 5 discovery.
Mr McAlister and Ms Gorman’s appointments will be effective from Kavango’s general meeting on 6 June.